Can opener



Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

NITED S A P TE JOHN J. clear n or new YORK, N. Y., Assreuon T0 onarnv rnonuo'rs CORPORA- rrou, or new YonK, 1\1Y., A ooaroenrrou or unwvonx can ornunn.

Application filed August 26, 1921. Serial 110,495,629.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a ready opener for tin cans and the like whereby the receptacle can be cut open without touching the receptacle as for instance where heated cans are to be opened quickly and easily without burning the hands of the operator.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device for cutting a hole in a a metal can leaving reamed or turned over edges at the severed portions so as to prevent cutting the fingers of the operator,

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a can opener operating on the principle of a pair of scissors giving great ease and speed to the operation of cut ting the tin and reaming or turning over the edges thereof for gaining safe access to the interior of the can.

With these general objects in view the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several. views.

In the drawings i Figure 1 is an elevational view of the can opener in its operative position upon the head or end of a can to be opened,

Figure 2 is an elevational view of one side of the device showing the gripping lever,

FigureB is a'similar elevational view of the opposite side thereof showing the cutting lever, a

' Figure 4 is a perspectiveview of the plier joint of the gripping lever,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the blade and abutment member of the cutting lever.

Figure '6 is an enlcrged sectional view "showing the removableblade'taken upon lines 6'6of Fig. Land A Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken upon line 7-7 of Figure l'showing the friction joint 7 Referring more in detail to the drawings my invention broadly consists of a gripping lever 10 having a plierjoint 11 and a cutter lever 12 having a blade 13, the said levers being pivoted together by a rivet or pin 14 at one end and having operating handles" 15 and 16 respectively, at their opposite free ends. H

The gripping lever 10 is a her formed" of two sections 17 18 piv- I double mem- V otally connected togetherat 11 and provided at adjacent points upon one side, designated rating the abutments 19 and 20 is limited by shoulders 23 at the opposite side of the lever 10 from the abutments 19 and 20. The abutment 19 of the lever section 17 for enthe outer surface of the can 22 is of greater length than the abutment 20 upon the lever section 18 as the abutment 2O engages'the inner surface of the bead or rim 21. Itshould be understood by those skilled in the art that although the gripping abutments function best when the can is pro I vided. with a flanged rim or bead about the periphery, nevertheless the device will operate to grip the peripheral edge of the can even though such a bead is not present, as in the case ofa fiush'top can.

A pointed portion 2-1 adjacent the pivot 14 for the levers is carried by one of the levers such as the lever 10 being mounted upon the section 18 thereofxand serviceable in making the initial opening in the end of the can 22 for the ready insertion of the cutting blade or knife 13 heretofore referred to and also foropening the severed portion. a An abutment .25 upon the underside of the lever 12 spaced from the blade 18 and of greater length than said blade is adapted for engaging the outer surface of the can 21 whenfthe blade 13 is in its cutting position through the end of the can and inwardly of the rim 21.

The blade 13'is removably positioned in a vslot 26 opening at the inner side of the lever 12 while a small screw 27 is screw-threaded into the open end of the slot 26 for en aging the base 28 of the knife 13 and hol ing the knife rigidly to the lever 12.

1 An annularxrecess 29 in the pivoted ends of the lever 10 and 12 house a coil spring, 30 for making a Strong friction joint at the pivot .14. f i e r i The complete operation of the invention vers, one of said levers having a blade and *otally connected together, and abutments upon adjacent portions of said sections slight pressure exerted upon the handles and 16 in the direction indicated by the arrows causes the abutments 19 and 20 to close and grip the rim 21 rendering the lever 10 immovable for acting as an anchor in pull- This produces acutting of the end of the can bythe knife 13, the length of out being limited bythe spacing at which the levers 10 and 12 are separated at the time of operation. At .the termination of such relatively short out, the gripping lever 10 is moved in a direction opposite the lever 12 fortaking a new grip upon the rim 2L and the lever 12- again moved toward the anchoring lever 10 producing a further cutting by the blade 13. This is somewhat of a sciscors operation with the abut-merits 19; and 20facting as pliers for anchoring purposes and the end of the can may be easily and quickly cut through for its entire or partial circumference by repeating the cutting operations above noted in a step-by-step movement. The abutments 19 and 20 have their ,inner adjacent faces beveled as at 19 and 20 respectively for ZISSlStlnglIl obtaining a firm hold upon therim 21.. The form of the cutting knife 13 as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing 1s such as to make a clean cut through the end of the metal can as well as ream both sides of thecut into a dull or turned over edge preventing the severed portions of the metal from injuring the hands ofthe operaton.

. and scope of the invention.

,YVliat Iclaim as new is: V

1. .A can opener comprising pivoted lea spaced abutment upon one face thereof, the other lever formed in twosections piv adapted for cooperating during movement of said levers toward each other.

2. A can openercomprising two levers,

. frictional pivotal connectionsbetween adjacent ends of'sa-id levers, one of said levers having a slot in its inner edge, a' cutting blade removably secured said slot, an abutmentupon the slotted lever spaced from said blade when the device is assembled and lioldingmeans' upon the other. lever.

3. A can opener comprising two levers,

frictional pivotal connections between adja-' cent ends of said levers, one of asid levers having a slot in its inner edge, a cutting levers. toward and away from each other. ing the cutting lever 12 towards the lever 10.

*ided'with means for rigidly gripping the annular flange of a conventional type of can.

6. A can opener comprising a cutting lever and' a gripping lever. the cutting lever provided with a cutting blade upon one. face thereof and the gripping lever provided with means for rigidly gripping the annular flange of a conventional type of can, the said gripping means being provided by forming the gripping lever'into tWo sections, the adjacent edges of which have downardly projecting gripping faces and whereinttheadjacent edges of the two sections are pivoted together. v

7. A can opener comprising a cutting member, a clamping member, pivotal connections between the cutting and clamping members, and means connected with the clamping member and operating to clamp the member to arcan upon a relative movement of the cutting and clamping members about the pivotal connection. v

8. A canopener comprising a cutter memher, a grippermember, pivotal connections betweenv the two members, and V clamping means mounted upon the gripper member and designed to close upon and grip opposite sides of the upstanding bead 'of a can top upon relative movement of the two members about the pivotal connection.

9. can opener comprising a cutting lever, a jointed gripping lever, pivotal connections between the cutting and gripping levers, and cooperating gripping members mounted upon the joint'ed gripping lever and designed to bemoved into clamping relation upon a relative movement. of the cutting and gripping levers about the pivotal connection.

10. 'A can opener comprising a cutting lever, a gripping lever, pivotal connections between the two levers adjacent the ends, cooperating abutments projecting downwardly from the gripping lever and adapted to engage at the inside and outside respectively of the peripheral edge of a can, the abutment engaging with the outside being substantially longer than the inner abutment to project downwardly along the peripheral surface of the can, and means for moving the abutments into clamping relation upon relative movement of the two levers about the pivotal connection.

11. A device for cutting sheet metal articles comprising a cutting member, a cooperating gripping member, connections between the cutting and gripping members, and means associated with the gripping member for clamping the member with re lation to the article to be severed by virtue of a pressure exerted upon the gripping member in a direction to impart a relative movement to the cutting and gripping members whereby a relative movement may be' imparted to the cutting member and sheet to be severed.

12. A can opener comprising cutting and gripping levers, means for pivotally connecting the cutting and gripping levers, a blade carried by the cutting member, cooperating gripping devices carried by the gripping lever, and means for automatically operating the gripping devices upon a relative movement of the two levers about the pivotal connection.

13. A can opener comprising cutting and gripping levers pivotally connected adjacent the inner ends, a cutting blade carried by the cutting lever intermediate the ends, cooperating gripping devices carried by the gripping lever intermediate the ends, and means for causing the gripping devices to engage with a can top and clamp the lever to the top upon a relative movement of the two levers about the pivotal connection in such a manner that the severing operation is accomplished by a progressive bodily movement of the cutting and gripping levers about the circumference of the can top.

14. A can opener comprising a rigid arm carrying a cutter blade and a two-part arm pivotally connected to the first mentioned arm and fitted with a gripping device intermediately thereon to engage the rim of the can at the exterior and interior so that when the arms are moved relative to one another the can will be revolved in a direction to force the cutter blade through the can top adjacent to the rim thereof.

15. A can opener comprising a rigid arm carrying a cutting device intermediately thereon and having its inner end overlying the can top, a link pivoted to the inner end of the first mentioned arm and carrying a device to engage the flanged rim of the can top at the inside thereof, and an arm pivoted to the link and having its inner end engaging the can at the exterior of the rim whereby when the two arms are moved relative to one another the rim of the can will be gripped and the can turned in a direction to force the cutting blade through the metal of the can top.

16. A can opener comprising pivoted levers, gripping and cutting instrumentalities mounted upon the levers, and means for causing the can to be intermittently gripped at its peripheral edge and a portion of the top severed upon relative movement of the levers in one direction and the gripping devices to be released and advanced to a new gripping position upon relative movement of the levers'in the opposite direction in such a manner that the can is rotated and the top severed by a series of successive opening and closing movements of the levers.

17. A can opener comprising a cutting lever, a jointed gripping lever pivotally connected therewith, gripping devices carried by the jointed lever designed to grip a can top upon relative movement of the levers about the pivotal connection, and a spring engaging with the two levers adjacent the pivotal conneetion and designed to retard the movement of the levers toward one another. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN J. CHAPIN. 

